William Home Lizars

'The Common Black Grouse (Lyrurus Tetrix Female)' is an original engraving published and engraved by William Home Lizars for Sir William Jardine's 'Naturalist Library' in 1840.

The well known 'Common Black Grouse' or 'Black Cock' is a native of the more southern countries of Europe. Especially, those localities where the pine woods and heaths are abundant. The female 'Grouse' makes its rude nest of grasses and stout herbage, and places it on the ground under the shelter of grass or bushes. she lays about six or ten yellowish-grey eggs diversified with light brown spots. She is protective and watchful of her brood, unlike the 'Black Cock' that does not pair, leaving his numerous mates to the duties of maturity and incubation.

'The Common Black Grouse (Lyrurus Tetrix Female)' is quite different from the male bird, as her general color is brown, with a tinge of orange, barred with black and speckled with the same hue, the spots and bars being larger on the breast, back and wings, and the feathers on the breast more or less edged with white. The under tail-coverts are greyish-white. The total length of the adult female is about seventeen to eighteen inches. She also weighs nearly one-third less than her mate, and is popularly termed the 'Heath Hen'.

The General color of the adult male bird is black glossed with blue and purple, with the exception of a white band across each wing. The under tail-coverts are white. The odd form of the tail is caused by the development of the exterior feathers, three, for or even five of which are laterally curved, the outermost being the longest and having the most decided curve. and their ends are almost squared. The total length of the adult male is about twenty-two inches.